CCR blog

On July 23, 2015, the Federal Court ruled that denying refugee claimants from Designated Countries of Origin access to the Refugee Appeal Division is a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Court ruled that these claimant must have access to the Refugee Appeal Division, effective immediately.

May 1st is International Worker’s Day, a time to celebrate the achievements for workers’ rights, and to reflect on the limitations on these rights that must still be overcome. As migrant workers in Canada (and around the world) continue to face barriers in accessing their rights, it is worth noting that the Canadian government has yet to ratify the UN Convention on the rights of all migrant workers and their families.

The recent news about immigration raids played out for a reality TV show has drawn attention to the Canada Border Services Agency's interest in strategies of mass appeal, at the expense of individuals' privacy and dignity. But it's not the first example.

Imagine that you have fled your country out of fear for your life. Imagine that you flee to Canada: the country does not accept you as a refugee, but it does recognize that it would be unsafe for you to return home because of the situation of generalized violence there.

Canadians are proud of their healthcare system, and the way in which it endeavours to treat everyone equally and fairly. Refugee healthcare has long been an important part of this healthcare system, reaching out to provide basic, urgent medical coverage to a vulnerable group.

New immigration rules mean some sponsored spouses will have “conditional permanent residence” for two years – and will be subject to deportation if they don’t live with their spouse for the full two years.

The change is designed to combat “marriage fraud” – people getting married in order to obtain permanent residence.

But the new rule seems to assume that a marriage is either fraudulent or destined for eternal bliss.